Air circulating means for refrigerator cars



` c. D. BONSALL March 7, i944.

AIR CIRCULATING MEANS FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS 2 Sheecs-Sheet l Filed Aug.3 1942 [n venian' 'C/zmesnsal! March 7, w44. c. D. BoNsALL AIRCIRCULATING MEANS FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed Aug. 5', 1942 2Sheets-Sheet 2 3.3 s ,K .gi u

Patented Mar. 7, 194'4 am cincULA'rnvG MEANS ron aararenaaron cansCharles D. Bonsall, Chicago, Ill., assigner, by mesne assignments, toStandard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company., a corporation ofDelaware Application August 3, 1942, Serial No; 453,452

Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerator cars used to transport perishablecommodities at a predetermined temperature. The essential features of arefrigerator car are an insulated body to prevent or retard ingress ofheat during warm` weather and egress of heat during cold weather and acooling means and preferably a heating means to be used during warm andcold weather respectively.

This invention applies particularly to cars in which the cooling means,preferably containers for water ice, eutectic ice, brine or dry ice, aredisposed immediately below the roof of the car. The lading is supportedin spaced relation to the iioor by a foraminous rack. Flues, preferablyassociated with the side walls of the car, communicate between thecooling means and the space under the iioor rack to provide a path forthe circulation of air. Thelpath is from the cooling means downwardlythrough the aforementioned ilues, through the space under the floorrack, upwardly through the lading compartment thereby cooling thelading, and finally to the cooling means from where the cycle isrepeated.'

The above mentioned circulation of air is a natural thermo-convectivecirculation and under certain conditions may not be adequate to properlycirculate a suicient amount of cold air throughfthgerlnterior of the carto properly refrigerate the lading. An object of the invention is toprovide a power driven fan for circulating air within the car and toprovide bailies and shrouds to direct the forced air circulation insubstantially the same path as is followed by natural convectivecirculation in a similar car. y l

Another object is to provide the above mentioned forced air circulationwithout substantially interfering with the natural convectivecirculation which takes place when the fan is inoperative.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed dei scription by referring to the accompanyingdrawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a transverse section of a refrigerator car showing oneembodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of Figure 1 as indicated by theline 3 3 of Figure 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to the upper part of Figure 1 showing amodified form of my invention.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a portion of the structure shown in Figure4.

Figs. 6 and 7 are sections on lines 6 6 and 'I--l respectively of Figure5.

The general parts of the refrigerator car shown are insulated roof A;side walls B; floor D; re

frigerant containers E; hatches F for loading refrigerant into thecontainers E; side wall ues G; foraniinous floor rack H and space Jbetween the rack H and the floor D. Spaced apart refrigerant containersE are positioned immediately below the roof A and respectively adjacentthe side walls B. A drip pan K- is -provided below each container E anda partition L is disposed in an upstanding position at the edge of eachdrip pan K, the drip pans K and the partitions L cooperating withl theroof A and the upper-parts of the side walls B to forml enclosures Maround the containers E. Air inlet openings N to the enclosures M areprovided above the partitions L and air discharge openings P lead fromthe enclosures M to the flues G at a lower elevation than' the air inletopenings N. Cars of this type commonly have a row of refrigerantcontainers E near each side wall B, which containers are spaced apartlongitudinally of the car to provide air passages between the ends ofthe containers. The partitions L are spaced apart to form a duct Q whichcommunicates between the lading compartment R and openings N.

When the air circulating means is inoperative, a natural convective aircirculation takes place as follows:

Air in the lading compartment Ris warmed by contact with the lading andrises through the duct Q to enter the enclosing structures M through theair inlet openings N. The air then ilows through the passages S betweenthe conf posed above the duct Q and arranged to circulate air inopposite directions from the duct Q toward both the refrigerantcontainers E The air circulated by the fans 2 ilows downwardy throughthe passages T between the containers E and the upstanding partitionsand thence in a substantially horizontal direction through the passagesS between the refrigerant containers E andthe drip pans K. This is thepath followed by the natural convective circulation of air and theiorced circulation induced by the fans 2 ailments the naturalcirculation. An inverted channel shaped shroud 'l overlies and partiallyencoses both of the fans 2 and is provided with openings o aligned withthe fans 2 and communicating with the air cooling passages T. The shroud1 has a substantial length longitudinallyA of the car to prevent the airfrom short-circuiting back into the duct Q after leaving the fans 2. Thefans may be driven by any suitable means; the driving means disclosedwill be hereinafter described.

In the modification disclosed in Figures 4 to 7, a single ian l ismounted to rotate upon a. vertical axis and arranged to induce acirculation of air upwardly through the duct Q. The fan l0 is surroundedby a cylindrical baille Il and a deilector I3 is provided above thebaille Ii to divide the upwardly flowing air in two streams, each ofwhich is directed downwardly through adjacent partition L and thencethrough the passage S between the container E and subjacent drip pan Kwhere it is cooled in the manner hereinbefore described.

Only one ian unit is shown in the modification illustrated by Figures 1to 3 and in the modification illustrated by Figures 4 to 7. A pluralityof similar units are preferably provided at intervals along the lengthof the car and may be conveniently arranged with one unit between eachpair of laterally spaced refrigerant containers.

The means illustrated for driving the fans 2, i0 comprise hydraulicturbines 8, i4 operated by fluid transmitted under pressure to theturbines. In the modification shown in Figures 1 to 3, the pressure linel5 is disposed immediately below the roof A while the return line iB isdisposed below the fans 2 in the lower part of the duct Q. In themodification shown in Figures 4 to '7, the pressure line I8 extendslongitudinally of the car adjacent the upper edge of one of thepartitions L while the return line I9 is disposed within the lower partof the duct Q. Fluid pressure may be furnished by a hydraulic pumpdriven by the car wheel as disclosed in Schwebs Reissue Patentthereof,within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in theart.

I claim:

l. In combination with the roof and spaced apart walls of a refrigeratorcar, a pair of spaced apart refrigerant containers below said roof,means cooperating with each of said containers to form an air coolingpassage adjacent the container, means to form a duct between saidcontainers and air circulating means comprising a pair of fans revolublymounted upon a horizontal axis within said duct externally of saidpassages, and arranged to induce a ow of air from said duct through bothof said passages, means disposed between said fans for driving both ofthe fans, a shroud covering said fans, and openings through oppositesides of said shroud in alignment with said fans.

2. In combination with the roof and spaced apart walls of a refrigeratorcar, a pair of spaced apart refrigerant containers below said roof,

means cooperating with each of said containers to form an air coolingpassage adjacent the container, said means comprising a drip pan spacedbelow the container and a member spaced from a wall of the container,said members being spaced apart to form a duct, and air circulatingmeans within said duct, externally of said passage, at a higherelevation than said members and arranged to induce a flow of air fromsaid duct through both of said passages, a shroud covering said aircirculating means, openings in said shroud aligned with said aircirculating means, and means for driving said air circulating means.

3. In combination with the roof and spaced apart walls of a refrigeratorcar, a pair of spaced apart refrigerant containers below said roof,means cooperating with each of said containers to form an air coolingpassage adjacent the container, said means comprising a drip pan spacedbelow the container and a member spaced from a wall of the container,said members being spaced apart to form a duct and air circulating meanscomprising a pair of fans revolubly mounted upon a horizontal axis at ahigher elevation than said members and arranged to induce a flow of airfrom said duct through both of said passages, an inverted channel-shapedshroud covering said fans with its depending flanges engaging saidmembers, substantially fan-size openings in said shroud aligned withsaid fans and means for driving said fans.

4. Air circulating means, for a railway refrigerator car, having arefrigerant container adjacent the roofof said car, an air coolingchamber about said container and a lading compartment therebelow, saidchamber having a vertical wall providing a duct at one side of saidchamber, above said lading compartment, said chamber being closed exceptfor the hereinafter men- .tioned air inlet between said duct and saidchamber at a higher elevation than an air outlet between said chamberand said compartment for convective flow of air therethrough; said aircirculating means comprising an air circulator mounted externally ofsaid chamber adjacent the air inlet thereinto, a shroud covering saidduct and said circulator, an opening through said shroud providing anair inlet between said duct and said chamber, said air circulator beingadapted to force air from the lading compartment to and through said aircooling chamber, and means to operate said air circulator.

5. Air circulating means, for a railway refrigerator car, having spacedapart walls, and a roof, a pair of spaced refrigerant containersadjacent said roof, means forming an air cooling chamber about eachcontainer, said last mentioned means providing a vertically extendingduct between said chambers, said chambers being closed except for thehereinafter mentioned air inlet thereinto through said duct, r d an airoutlet and flue means, associated with said walls. each communicating atits upper end with one of said air outlets; said air circulating meanscomprising an air circulator mounted within said duct externally of saidchambers, a shroud covering said duct and said circulator, openingsthrough said shroud providing air inlets between said duct and saidchambers, said air circulator being adapted to force air from the ladingcompartment through said duct into both air inlets through both chambersand into said ilues, and means to operate said air circulator.

CHARLES D. BONSALL

